10. Freedom and Surrender
Chapter ten
Freedom and Surrender
Amelia
I stand by the window, my fingers resting lightly on the cool glass as I look out over the estate. The garden has been transformed, reborn from the ashes of its destruction. The roses are back, their vivid reds and whites, a contrast to the freshly laid stone paths winding through the lush greenery. A brand new gazebo in the middle of the garden, gives me a special place to relax when I want to be away from everything and everyone.
The east wing, too, has been rebuilt, its architecture even grander than before, as if Matteo needed to prove to the world—and perhaps to himself—that nothing and no one could truly touch him. The view is breathtaking, but it doesn’t ease the storm inside me.
It’s a facade, just like everything else in Matteo’s world. Beneath the surface, beneath the beauty and order, there’s still the chaos, the darkness that lingers like a shadow. But now, I’m part of it. The thought unsettles me and exhilarates me in equal measure. I sit in the sunlit corner of Matteo’s office, the morning light casting golden hues across the room. His words from last night echoes in my mind, heavy with a weight I’m not sure I’m ready to carry.
“You have a choice, Amelia. Freedom or us. But if you stay, you stay knowing everything, accepting everything. There’s no turning back.”
Freedom. The word feels foreign now, hollow. What would freedom even mean for me at this point? A life without Matteo, without this world of power and danger and fire? The thought should bring me relief, but instead, it leaves a void, an emptiness I can’t ignore.
I glance at the papers again—contracts, agreements, blueprints of the future Matteo is building. Our future. Whether I want to admit it or not, I’ve become part of this world, a partner in his darkness.
The door opens, and I look up to see Matteo stepping inside, his presence filling the room like a storm rolling in. His dark eyes lock onto mine, and for a moment, the rest of the world fades away.
“You’re up early,” he says, his voice a low rumble.
“I couldn’t sleep. There’s too much to think about.” I reply, my gaze drifting back to the papers.
He moves to stand beside me, his hand brushing against mine as he picks up one of the contracts.
“That’s what happens when you build something worth protecting.”
I can’t help but scoff. “Is that what this is? Protection? Or just control?”
His eyes darken, but there’s a flicker of something else there—vulnerability, maybe. “It’s both. Always both.”
I don’t respond, letting the silence stretch between us. Finally, he speaks again, his tone softer. “The garden looks beautiful, doesn’t it?”
I nod. “It does. But it’s not the same.”
“No,” he agrees, his gaze distant. “It’s stronger. More resilient. Just like us.”
I turn to look at him, the weight of his words sinking in. He’s not just talking about the garden or the estate. He’s talking about us, about what we’ve become.
“Is that what you want? To make me stronger, more resilient?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
His hand cups my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “I want you to be unbreakable, Amelia. I want you to be everything this world fears and respects.”
The intensity of his words sends a shiver through me, but I don’t look away. “What about what I want?”
His lips curve into a small, dark smile. “You already have it. You just don’t want to admit it yet.”
I hate that he’s right. Hate that I feel more alive in this darkness than I ever did in the light.
“Why offer me my freedom?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes searching mine. “Because I meant what I said. I can’t keep you here if you don’t want to stay.”
The honesty in his tone stirs something deep inside me. I look away, my gaze falling to the floor. “What if I want to stay?”
His hand cups my chin, tilting my face back up to meet his. The intensity in his eyes is staggering, a storm of emotions swirling within them. “If you stay, you’re mine. Completely.”
A shiver runs through me at the possessiveness in his voice, but it’s not fear that grips me—it’s desire.
“I don’t know how to be anything else,” I admit, my voice cracking under the weight of my confession.
His thumb brushes over my lower lip, and his expression softens, just enough to see the man behind the mafia boss. “Then don’t try. You were born for this, Amelia. For me.”
I close my eyes, letting his words wash over me. The part of me that used to fight him, that hated him for taking everything from me, has quieted. In its place is something darker, something just as obsessive and consuming as his need for control.
When I open my eyes, the decision is clear. “I’m staying.”
The tension in his shoulders eases, and for a moment, I see relief flicker across his face. But it’s gone as quickly as it came, replaced by the fierce determination that defines him.
“You won’t regret it,” he says, his hands sliding to my waist, pulling me against him.
“I might,” I whisper, but there’s no conviction in my words. His lips crash into mine, the kiss searing and demanding. We are two souls that have no business being together but fit perfectly nonetheless. When he finally pulls away, his forehead rests against mine, his breath warm against my skin.
“I’ll destroy anyone who tries to take you from me.”
I don’t flinch at his words. Instead, I find myself nodding, the darkness in his promise mirrored in my own heart.
“I’ll let you.” I reply, my voice steady and full of conviction.
His lips curve into a wicked smile, and he brushes a strand of hair from my face. “Good. Because we have work to do, my queen.”
The words settle between us, heavy with meaning. There was a time when being called that would have felt like a death sentence. Now, it feels like something else entirely. A coronation. Matteo steps closer, his warmth seeping into me. His smile is intoxicating.
“You know what this means, don’t you?”
I nod, my fingers curling into his shirt. “We build this together. We grow together.”
A flicker of something raw and almost vulnerable flashes across his face, but it’s gone in an instant, replaced by the intensity I’ve come to crave. The need to have him is building inside of me every second, I look into his eyes and shiver as his hands frame my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks as he studies me. My heart is racing when he looks into my eyes deeply.
“Say it,” he murmurs.
“Say what?” I look as he smiles and kisses my cheeks gently.
“Don’t test my patience. You know what I’m asking.” he huffs with a low growl.
“I love you, Matteo.” The moment the words leave my lips, his entire body stills. Do I truly mean that, do I really love him.
Have I learned to love him after all of the crap we have been through? For a second, I think he stopped breathing. Then, his grip tightens, his forehead pressing against mine.
“Again,” he demands, his voice hoarse and stern.
“I love you.” I try to make my voice sound convincing so I can see his reaction.
His lips crash against mine, not in desperation, but in absolute possession. As if he’s claiming the words, branding them into his skin. I feel it in the way he holds me, in the way his touch lingers, a lot softer now.
When he pulls back, his eyes burn into mine. “I love you too, cara mia. ”
His words are a vow, unshakable, undeniable. Matteo didn’t just take me, he consumed me. I wanted to leave at the beginning. But now I feel at home. Yes, he is possessive and loves to crowd me but I know it’s about safety now. I mainly escape to the garden and watch the birds or plant some flowers. I even started planting some vegetables in a small plot near the back corner.
Matteo’s hands anchor me against him like a promise—no, like a threat. His breath is warm against my temple, his eyes shining with lust and power. When he finally speaks, his voice is velvet laced with steel.
“I need you to understand one thing.”
“What’s that?”
He smirks, but it’s not the charming kind. It’s the kind that hints at chaos, at destruction. The look he gets when he tries to stir the flames inside me. “You’re my obsession. My addiction. I don’t let go of what’s mine.”
My spine shivers, a year ago I would have ran out of the room or even tried to sock him in the face but I have surrendered to the darkness that gives me more confidence and the ability to test him in more ways than one.
“What if I let go first?” I ask, testing the boundaries.
His grip tightens just enough to make me gasp. “You won’t. Because I’ll remind you every day why you can’t.” he says, his voice a dangerous whisper.
I should fight him. I should pull away and reclaim whatever shards of independence I have left. But instead, I press closer, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling the steady, powerful beat of his heart beneath my fingertips. “Then stop talking and show me,” I challenge, my voice bold and reckless.
His laugh is low and dark, the sound vibrating through me. “Careful what you wish for.”
Without another word, Matteo spins me around, his movements calculated yet feverish. My back hits the edge of his desk, and before I can process what’s happening, he sweeps the papers and files onto the floor with one swift motion.
“Matteo, what—”
He cuts me off with a kiss, deep and consuming, his hands tangling in my hair as he tilts my head back. His dominance isn’t just physical; it’s in the way he commands every inch of space around him, pulling me into his world where he makes the rules, and I bend to them. But I don’t bend easily. Not anymore.
I claw at his shirt, ripping buttons free as I push against him. “I’m not your puppet,” I hiss, breaking the kiss long enough to glare at him.
He chuckles, the sound low and menacing. “No but that doesn’t mean I won’t break you if I have to.”
Something inside me snaps, not in fear but in exhilaration. I shove him hard, sending him back a step. His grin widens, like a predator who’s found a worthy opponent.
“You want to play, regina ?” he taunts, his voice dripping with danger. “Then play.”
I lunge at him, my lips crashing against his as our desires and obsessions collide in a storm of heat and fury. His hands are everywhere, claiming, demanding my body, but I meet him with equal fire, refusing to let him dominate me completely. In this moment, we’re not captor and captive. We’re two forces of nature, equally destructive, equally consuming. In this moment we are husband and wife. Matteo’s hand cups my cheek, his thumb brushing over my swollen lips.
“See? You belong here, Amelia. In the darkness.” his voice softer now but no less dangerous.
I close my eyes, leaning into his touch. “What if the darkness consumes me further?”
His lips press against my lips passionately, the gesture startlingly tender. “Then we’ll burn together.”
A shiver runs through me, but it’s not fear. It’s acceptance. Of him, of us, of the twisted, bond we’ve forged.
“Let it burn,” I whisper, my voice steady and full of resolve.
Matteo pulls me close, his arms wrapping around me like a cage. For the first time, I don’t feel trapped. I feel free. Because the truth is, I’ve become just as obsessed with him as he is with me.
There’s no turning back now. Matteo’s arms remain locked around me, his heartbeat pounding against my cheek like a war drum, steady and relentless. The silence between us is thick, not with uncertainty, but with a shared understanding. We’ve crossed a line—one we can’t come back from—and neither of us wants to.
“You know what happens now, don’t you?” he murmurs, his fingers tracing idle patterns down my spine. I lift my head, meeting his gaze. The raw, unfiltered intensity in his eyes steals the air from my lungs.
“Yes. There’s no going back.”
His lips curl into a dark smile. “Good girl.”
The words settle into my core like a brand, scorching away the remnants of the woman I used to be. I’m no longer just Amelia Ricci. I’m Amelia Moretti, the queen of his empire, bound to him by something far stronger than love—obsession.
“I’ll give you everything, amore mia ,” Matteo says, his voice a low promise.
“Everything I’ve built, everything I am. It’s all yours.”
“And in return?” I ask, though I already know the answer.
He leans down, his lips brushing against mine, the touch so light it’s maddening. “In return, you’ll give me everything. Every thought, every breath, every piece of your soul.”
I should hesitate. I should feel fear or resistance. But all I feel is a dark, intoxicating thrill. “I already have.” I admit, my voice trembling but certain.
His grip tightens, and the shift in his expression is subtle but filled with unmistakable Possession, Pride, Primal and fierce. “Then we’ll build something unstoppable, you and I. But first…”
His hands slide to my waist, lifting me effortlessly onto the desk. The cool surface presses against my legs, but it’s nothing compared to the heat radiating from him. Matteo steps between my thighs, his presence overwhelming, his touch is demanding.
“First, I’ll make sure you never forget who you belong to,” he growls, his lips descending on mine with a ferocity that steals my breath. I watch him as he opens the desk drawer and pull out the collar and cuffs. I haven’t seen them in awhile. “This is how you prove it to me.”
I nod and move my hair out of the way so he can put the collar around my neck. I gulp when the cold metal touches my skin. He grabs my wrists and traces the indents they left before putting them back around my wrists.
“Your so beautiful and I love seeing you bound by the cuffs.”
“I’m glad I can amuse you.” I give him a small smirk.
“Amelia. You drive me mad, you know that?”
He breathes against my skin, his voice rough and unsteady. He leans down and bites my lower lip, drawing a gasp from me, as I retaliate. Digging my nails into his shoulders, pulling him closer.
I tilt my head back, giving him access to the column of my neck. “Good. Maybe it’s time someone challenged you.”
His laugh is dark and dangerous, vibrating against my throat as his lips leave a trail of fire in their wake. “You’ve done more than that, regina . You’ve ruined me.”
The confession is raw, and it hits me like a punch to the gut. Matteo Moretti, the man who rules his empire with an iron fist, is standing here, baring himself to me in a way that no one else ever has. The truth is, I’ve ruined myself for him, too.
Matteo’s hands never leave me, his touch is a constant reminder of his claim. I don’t want it to end. I want to feel everything. His breath on my neck, his hands on my body, his cock inside of me. I think about how badly I need it, slowly he takes off my shirt and lets it fall onto the ground. He takes off my bra and runs his finger over my nipples. They feel very sensitive but that doesn’t matter.
I gasp softly when he starts sucking on my neck, my moans escaping as he grips my pants and rips them in half. Not caring if he just ripped my favorite pair of pants.
“M-Matteo, please” My breathe is shaky and hitching.
“As you wish, my dear.”
His voice makes my entire body shiver with delight and desire. I crave him more and more each day, with each passing moment. My pussy dripping with need as he sticks his finger inside and uses the opportunity to finger me. He jams his fingers in deeply, causing me to gasp sharply and arch my back. He kisses me with passion as my orgasms come in strong waves, one after another with strong ease. He pulls his fingers out and brushes a strand of hair from my face, his expression softer now but no less intense.
“You’re everything to me, Amelia. You always will be.”
I close my eyes, letting his words sink in. I don’t know where this path will lead us, but I know one thing for certain: I don’t want to walk it alone. “Then let’s burn the world down,” I murmur, my voice barely audible.
His answering smile is dark, wicked, and entirely Matteo. “Together.”